Postcard From California
by yaba
Summary: Post Season 2 Finale. Leyton Lucas didn't say anything and Peyton was thankful.
1. Chapter 1

_Postcard From California_

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Pairing: Lucas/Peyton

Post-Season 2 Finale

Song: Tori Amos "A sorta fairytale"

* * *

_On my way up north  
up on the Ventura  
I pulled back the hood  
and I was talking to you_

Peyton twisted the dark pink comforter between her fingers, exuding tension through her pores. He watched her mutely, not daring to break the somewhat deafening silence that settled thickly upon the room. She looked stunning in that certain Peyton way, which made boys think she didn't really try at all. Yet he knew that she really didn't care much for physical appearance and perhaps that's what attracted so many to her. The quiet beauty, cerulean eyes, and shy demeanor that once you got to know her expanded into something more; these all played factors in their current position.

He didn't remember or more correctly didn't want to remember how they ended up her on this Sunday morning-a few hours shy of picking up Brooke from the airport-wrapped up in the intruding sunshine spying on them from her west window.

"What are you thinking about Luke?" Her smooth voice penetrated his thoughts with utter welcome. He turned over on his side, admiring the affect gravity had on his counterpart. Peyton rolled her eyes at the direction of his gaze and stopped fiddling with the duvet.

"We have to pick Brooke up in like an hour and a half. Do you think we have time to confess our sins?" He asked dryly.

"Too many sins, too little time." Peyton let out a heavy sigh, symbol for the general mood of the sunny morning.

_And I knew then it would be  
a life long thing  
but I didn't know that we  
we could break a silver lining_

"Too true Peyt." He reached out, suddenly gaining the courage to touch her soft skin again, a flashback of the night before ran through his mind like a kaleidoscope. Lucas shut his eyes for a moment, before laying a gentle kiss on Peyton's forehead.

She curled up next to him, desperate for the warmth he had to offer, even though the sun shone directly at her. It was absolutely terrifying how quickly they could switch from fear of one another to complete need for one another. She looked up at him, and this time Lucas couldn't resist the taste of her lips, and dove for a wet kiss. Peyton reciprocated against her will, almost thirsting for redemption that she knew she didn't deserve.

They pulled apart for a moment, simply to access the damage of their situation, but quickly forgetting the consequences as their naked torsos came into contact with each other. Passion ignited by two sparks that had yet to burn out, and neither minded, at least for the moment, the adultery they were committing.

She-cheating on her best friend. He-cheating on the love of his life.

_And I'm so sad  
like a good book  
I can't put this day back  
a sorta fairytale  
with you  
a sorta fairytale  
with you_

For a second time, their eyes connected with an intense union neither experienced before, not even in their previous lovemaking. Both realized it had been the understanding that they had overstepped the boundaries silently set to test them the first day they ever met.

Peyton ran a reluctant hand through his hair, admiring the soft curls that weren't hers to touch and Lucas quickly grabbed her wrists, drawing soft patterns on her arm, as if silently reassuring her that this wasn't the worst possible thing she could do to her absent best friend at the moment. Even though they both knew she couldn't have done anything worse.

"I'm horrible." She whispered almost inaudibly, but Lucas refused to let her take responsibility for his lust.

"No, you're just a victim of my spontaneity." He replied, though she had not been awaiting that answer, he was sure of it.

"It takes two to tango Lucas." Lucas looked at her intently, trying to surmise any sort of emotion on her perfect face.

"Peyt-…" But she was too quick and too realistic to want to hear his words. She silenced him with a kiss and then looked him candidly in the eye. Something Lucas realized she never really did before.

"Can you just-…" The blonde let her voice trail off, hoping Lucas would understand.

"Yeah." He whispered back, though there was no more need for words.

_Things you said that day  
up on the 101  
the girl had come undone  
I tried to downplay it  
with a bet about us_

A few hours later, Peyton was pushing 60 on the highway going toward Charleston International Airport. Lucas was sipping a coke and fiddling with the radio, refusing to look her in the eye.

"We're going to have to talk about it sometime." She finally allowed the silence to be broken, sunshine be damned.

"I know." Lucas sighed, then added humorously, "Yet, you and I have never been good with words before."

Peyton couldn't agree more, but for some reason it uneerved her that he was so right about it.

"I couldn't imagine why. You have no problem confessing your feelings to Brooke, though your timing is a little off."

Lucas froze at her rashness. Her voice sounded rough and uninviting, especially under the circumstances.

"Very nice of you to throw that in my face." He commented, and Peyton could only imagine the dirt he was too afraid of assaulting her with. Unfair of her, but she didn't care, you don't just fuck her best friend's ex boyfriend without having the balls to piss him off.

"I'm sure you have a few dirty secrets to throw back at me. I promise I won't hold it against you." She assured.

Lucas snorted uncharacteristically. His head whipped passed the exit to the airport and he looked intently at the driver.

Her golden locks were billowing in the wind, clearing her face and exposing her truly exquisite, if unnoticed features, Lucas thought she never looked more beautiful.

"Would you mind telling me why your boring holes in my face blondie?" Peyton addressed him unhurriedly, yet knowing that pretty soon the real charade would have to take place. She wouldn't be able to talk to him so openly if a bit rudely without considering Brooke's feelings, and suddenly and overwhelming feeling of dread came over her.

Lucas was about to respond but she reached out across the stick shift and grabbed his hand, squeezing it as hard as she could, "Don't say anything." She whispered and Lucas nodded, squeezing her hand back.

_Way up north I took my day  
all in all was a pretty nice  
day and I put the hood  
right back where _

A few minutes later, they drove up to a smiling Brooke, all ready with her luggage and as customary, some painfully good looking employee making his way over to Peyton's truck with all about three suitcases in tow.

"How much baggage could one person possibly need?" Lucas murmured, and Peyton let out a hoarse laugh.

"It's Brooke. Think about it." She grew anxious as the familiar brunette eagerly made her way over to them.

A moment before Brooke was within earshot, Peyton murmured sardonically, " It's quite ironic. I met you first."

Lucas didn't say anything, and Peyton was thankful.

_You could taste heaven perfectly  
feel out the summer breeze  
didn't know when we'd be back  
and I, I don't didn't think  
we'd end up like, like this_


	2. Part 2: Long Way From Trust

_Postcard From California_

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Pairing: Lucas/Peyton

Post-Season 2 Finale

Song: Citizen Cope "Sideways"

* * *

_You know it ain't easy  
For these thoughts here to leave me  
There's no words to describe it  
In French or in English_

With nothing but the empty highway and wind in their hair, Brooke thought that she and her two friends would have not a care in the world, but the tension that filled the car was getting so thick even she was having trouble ignoring it. She was eager to burst out with humorous stories about her stay in California, but remained quiet, curious as to why neither Peyton nor Lucas had uttered a word in her presence since they picked her. Brooke knew her patience was running out, especially since her two month old present from Daddy was quietly napping, and the remaining luggage that wouldn't fit into Peyton's trunk was slowly moving her way, making her feel claustrophobic.

"What did you name her?" Lucas asked awkwardly, and Brooke came to life, at first confused and then understanding when he turned around and pointed to the Pomeranian ball of fluff laying soundlessly in her doggy bag. Brooke smiled and affectionately scratched her new companion behind the ears. Lucas's guilty stare went unbeknownst to her, and she brushed back a strand of her hair thoughtfully.

"I think I'll name her Zoë." Brooke decided and then looked at her best friend, "What do you think Peyt?"

That caught the driver off guard and Peyton almost swerved off the freeway. Brooke held her breath for a moment, and then let it out, deciding to finally break the tension filled bubble engulfing the convertible.

"Peyton pull over."

"Brooke?" Peyton turned around for a moment, trying to steady her shaky grip on the wheel, thinking it would be a good idea to listen to her friend. She glanced sideways at Lucas, who nodded her along, much more solemnly as it was already decided that Lucas would be the one to break the news.

"Okay." Peyton agreed and swerved, now more calmly, to the shoulder of the road. The second the car stopped Brooke got up, careful to not disturb her pooch, and crossed her arms, turning toward the guilty parties suspiciously.

"What's up Brooke?" Lucas tried to feign innocence but was fully aware that his ex girlfriend wasn't buying any of it.

"Alright, one out of two things have happened while I was away." Brooke began, eyeing Peyton for any faltering in appearance, but her friend's expression seemed stone cold, Brooke remembered how Peyton didn't even get out of the car to hug her when Brooke arrived.

_Well, diamonds they fade  
And flowers they bloom  
And I'm telling you  
These feelings won't go away_

"Number one, you guys pulled a Haley and Nathan and got hitched with matching tattoos of each other's names, or number dos you guys got into a terrible fight over me and now refuse to speak to each other. What's the verdict?" Brooke looked between them with a bit of mirth in her smile, which immediately deflated with the next bit of news she received.

"Actually we slept together." Peyton didn't know what came over her, but she couldn't help being so blunt about her adultery. It was the mixture of keeping it in and the fatigue over lying to her friend about the last time Lucas and her hooked up. That and the fact that deep inside of her, Peyton felt that if it came from her and not Lucas Brooke would have an easier time rebuilding their friendship, if there was still one left to rebuild.

Lucas shot a nervous look at Brooke, trying to read her expression, which became unintelligible as soon as she heard the real reason behind her friends' anxiety.

"Brooke, I don't know what to say, I mean with the way things ended between us before you left, I just lost all hope of ever retrieving what we had. So-…"

"So what Luke? You found comfort in the nearest arms, why not run to Haley, I'm sure you haven't been with her yet, it would've been fun tasting the goods that you haven't yet." Brooke snapped and for a split second regretted it, but looking at the closeness between Peyton and Lucas in retrospect she figured it was bound to happen that way.

"Brooke, please listen to me-…" Peyton spoke smoothly, evenly, knowing with expertise how best to handle her best friend.

_They've been knockin' me sideways  
They've been knockin' me out lately  
Whenever you come around me_

"You don't need to apologize, or pull any of that 'please understand we were both lonely' bullshit. I forgave you guys for this long before you even did it. It was bound to happen. Why do you think I tried so hard to get Luke in the beginning anyway?" Brooke asked pointedly, looking between the two adulterers.

Lucas actually shrugged, still in disbelief of being caught between two girls, two best friends at that.

Peyton opened her mouth to speak but couldn't figure out what to say.

"I bet you think it's because I was horny." Brooke laughed bitterly, "Which was part of it, but also the other part of me screamed, "You can't let Peyt have both of the Scott brothers, you got to figure out what's so good about them." And so I kind of stole him from underneath you, well not literally, but you know what I mean, and I'm not surprised and even more so Luke, I never would've gotten back with you, because I knew this would happen. So don't apologize for your feelings but more so definitely don't make me try to understand. All you had to do was let me go, but you couldn't and now I'm ready to let you go."

Lucas was very surprised by her speech, and not having rehearsed the appropriate reaction for this, he was dumbstruck.

"Okay, any other bombshells?" Brooke let out a satisfying breath and headed back to the car after a moment of silence.

At that moment Zoe woke up from her nap and enthusiastically began barking at her owner's two friends.

"You see?" Brooke pointed to the dog, "Zoe agrees." And then began scratching the puppy affectionately and cooing her like a baby.

Peyton and Lucas exchanged looks but didn't say anything, walking slowly to the car. Brooke let out a yawn and closed her eyes. "Wake me when we get there." She said, feeling a bit selfish for not exactly waiting for any response from her friends, but hey, the way they were going, it didn't seem she would be in their company for long.

* * *

_Well, diamonds they fade  
And flowers they bloom  
And I'm telling you  
These feelings won't go away_

"She hates me, I'm sure of it." Peyton said quietly, huddled up in the corner of her bed, wiping nonexistent tears from underneath her eyes. Lucas looked helplessly at her, unable to offer emotional support and scared to touch her due to raging hormones.

"She can't hate you. Your P. Sawyer." Lucas smiled nostalgically, reminding Peyton of Brooke's nickname for her.

"I slept with the only guy she's ever loved Luke."

"I highly doubt after today there'll be much love between Brooke and I."

Peyton shrugged, trying to absorb the reality of the situation and slowly coming to the conclusion that she would truly be lonely without Brooke in her life.

"I can't just let her be this way. I know I hurt her, I can't do that again I just can't." Peyton suddenly got up and grabbed her jacket off the counter, "I'm going for a walk, feel welcome to stay."

Lucas looked at her uncertainly, not really wanting to leave seeing as Brooke and him were roommates now.

"Don't go see her, it could only be worse, she needs time to cool off."

Peyton shook her head, "A betrayed heart isn't something that needs time to cool off, it'll never go away and the trust that comes with it won't either. I just need to go." She explained, silently pleading for his blessing with her eyes.

Lucas got up and walked toward her, Peyton simultaneously took a step back also fearing physical contact with him, but the blonde boy touched her arm softly, and she melted into him as only she could with so little effort.

"It'll be okay, I promise." He whispered into her hair, though his eyes betrayed him. Looking in the mirror in front of him, Lucas suddenly despised his reflection.

It looked like the reflection of a guilty man…

_I keep thinking in a moment that  
Time will take them away  
But these feelings won't go away_


	3. Part 3: Shame On Me

**Postcard From California**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Character: Brooke

Post-Season 2 Finale

Song: Rob Thomas "This Is How a Heart Breaks"

A/N: This is the last installment for this fiction. The feminist in me spoke out here. I hope you Brooke fans enjoy.

* * *

_Don't you wanna go for a ride  
Just keep your hands inside  
And make the most out of life  
Now don't you take it for granted_

Brooke lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She'd have to be up and about in 5 hours and sleep was just not coming to her. Logically she should have been snoring away, having been on a long flight back from California and jet lag nagging at her ever since she got home, but sleep was elusive and even though at times she wasn't so bright she knew exactly what was stopping her from much needed sleep.

How could they, she thought, surprised that she was not at all, well _surprised_ by their actions. She had been weary of leaving them alone together but considered the possibility of them hooking up completely implausible due to circumstances but now that she thought it about it, it made perfect sense. They had a history and both with broken hearts, deserted by their significant others…

Wait! Was it her fault then?

Brooke let out a suppressed yawn and rolled over, what she needed was a cigarette. Yes a nasty habit she picked up in sunny California but nonetheless her craving didn't stay on the West coast, it followed her viciously home and now she couldn't get rid of the addiction no matter how hard she tried.

_Life is like a mean machine  
It made a mess outta me  
It left me caught between  
Like an angry dream I was stranded_

Yes, okay she hadn't been back home for a day until her craving kicked in but hey, she was young her lungs were strong, and that mentality hadn't led her far in life but she decided to wing it. Lungs be damned.

"Where are my cancer sticks?" She asked herself out loud and got the answer when Zoë rose from her position by Brooke's feet and growled surprisingly in a ladylike manner even though it was obvious the sensitive pooch was against this nasty habit of Brooke's.

"Be quite, you sniff other doggies' butts." Brooke huffed quite immaturely in response and got out of her warm bed and walked to her desk, taking out a Menthol Capri from her bag. She fished around for a lighter and walked to the window, wrapping a warm duvet over her body as the cold air assaulted her.

She thought about how simpler things were before the Scott brothers entered her and Peyt's life, and how un-drama filled it was. How the only important things/people in her life were clothes, cheerleading and Peyton. Nothing else mattered, but for the life of her she couldn't remember feeling as exhilarating and happy with life as she was when Lucas Scott first poked his pretty blond head into the gymnasium and became the prime target for her foolish games. The same ones that cost Peyton so much pain and now in an unlikely turn of events were causing her, for the second time, eating slowly away at her.

_And I'm steady but I'm starting to shake  
And I don't know how much more I can take_

God she needed a shot of vodka. Yes it wouldn't solve anything, the rational part of her said, but the Brooke part of her said to go and get shit faced, the world could wait another day for Brooke Davis to appear.

She stubbed out the cigarette and took off the duvet, opening her closet. Hmmm…

"So Zoe, what will be the best way to score an easy lay: the new Gucci suede pink miniskirt from Horn boutique, or the leather trousers from Armani?" She asked the blonde pooch jokingly of course, and yet a part of her wondered if she still had it in her.

Of course she did, and she looked at the phone as she decided on the suede miniskirt. There was only one thing missing from her perfect concoction.

Peyton.

Maybe she could call her, maybe they could swap makeup tips and gush over pathetic pick up lines.

Maybe.

Brooke was two steps away from the phone but a soft bark from her only friend stopped her.

She smiled at the devoted pup.

"You really are a man's best friend. Thanks Chiquita." She scratched the puppy affectionately behind its' ears.

"Talking to yourself I see." A voice interrupted her exchange.

Brooke turned around in complete shock to see the person she was hesitating to call standing outside her window.

"Yeah, I guess I'm running out of friends lately, can you blame me?" Brooke asked curtly, and Peyton felt the rush of frost settle between them.

_Don't you wanna go for a ride  
Down to the other side  
Feels so good you could cry  
Now won't you do what I told you  
I remember when you used to be shy  
Yeah, once we were so fine  
You and I why you gotta make it so hard on me_

Peyton shoved her hands in her leather jacket, not willing to step over the sill into Brooke's domain, "I guess I deserved that too." She implied.

Brooke looked down, a little ashamed of her dry sarcasm but as soon as Peyton looked at her, Brooke's façade came up again. There was never a shield between the two friends, now Brooke had no choice, the trust disseminated and couldn't be brought back again unless like Moses Peyt spread the red sea for her, or something.

Hell, she wasn't even Jewish and she was searching for references like that. Get off your high horse, Brooke, it was bound to happen, you were too busy getting drunk and buying too much clothes to call and see how your friend was. It's your fault too; you deserved them both in their greatest time of need.

"Have you been smoking here?" Peyton sniffed suspiciously.

Brooke's eyes narrowed, wondering why her best- ex best friend even cared, "We all picked up a few nasty habits over the summer."

Ouch, strike 2.

_You're not the best thing that I knew  
Never was never cared too much  
For all this hanging around  
It's just the same thing all the time  
Never get what I want  
Never get too close to the end of the line  
You're just the same thing that I knew back before the time  
When I was only for you_

"Look Brooke I'm sorry, I know it doesn't help but I am as much as I'll ever be, but Lucas was there for me, and perhaps not in the same way that I had hoped he would be but he was nonetheless and I sought comfort in him because no one else was around, vise versa for him. Can't we just chalk it up to that and that's all?"

"How dare you say that to me?" Brooke dropped the suede on the floor, stepping over it vehemently.

"Because I have nothing else to say, nothing will make this better but we need to try."

"No!" Brooke came closer to the window, her hand on the sliding door, "We don't have to try anything. We weren't the ones who fucked up. There is another 'we' that should go and fix this, but I'm done, I'm sick of it. For your sake I didn't say anything in front of Luke today about you, so your perfect boyfriend wouldn't consider you a backstabber, which he is as well. Peyton I love you but I just can't deal with this right now. You know as the old saying goes, you fool me once shame on you, you fool me twice shame on me. I can't be shamed in front of you. Not anymore you broke that trust when you slept with Lucas, and now you gotta lie in the bed you made." Brooke let the sliding door close and almost symbolically draw a glass separation between herself and Peyton.

She shut off the lights, ignoring the knocking on her window and Zoe's frantic growling at the imposter. Suddenly her thirst to reacquaint herself with her past habits was quenched.

She didn't want meaningless hook ups or alcohol induced fun. She wanted something that would last and today was the beginning of the rest of her life.

The good one anyway.

_This is it now  
Everybody get down  
This is all I can take  
This is how a heart breaks  
You take a hit now you feel it break down  
Make you stay wide awake  
This is how a heart breaks_

_THE END_


End file.
